Dr. MURRAY. I am glad I do not have to pass judgment on that, sir. Mr. FLOOD. Well, I am glad you are glad. That is fine.

Dr. MURRAY. Nevertheless, because of the likelihood that, in the years to come, many new viral vaccines will be developed in new tissue culture systems, it is essential that the Division have firmly estab lished knowledge and research competence in this field.

Mr. FLOOD. By new tissue culture systems do you mean human tissues?

Dr. MURRAY. A variety of tissues. Ultimately human tissues may be used.

Mr. FLOOD. Are they not used now?

Dr. MURRAY. Only experimentally. There is talk of using baboon tissues and tissues from other animals. Duck embryo looks like it might be useful.

PROGRAM PLANS

The Division's contract program on oncogenesis is just beginning. It will be expanded in scope and content to include testing of additional biological products, screening of suspect materials for covert viruses by presently available techniques and the development of new ones. Means will be sought for determining oncogenic effects more rapidly than is now possible. The study of the ingredients of plastics will be extended to determine possible oncogenic effects as well as the deleterious effects already observed on blood reagents. The 1968 budget contains a request for an additional $300,000 to extend the contract program on oncogenicity.

Mr. FLOOD. Does this get in the area of asbestos and beryllium and plastics? There was some reference to that yesterday.

Dr. MURRAY. No. Plastics are being widely used for containers of various kinds and the composition of the plastics is never constant. This poses problems because materials leach out of the plastics and have deleterious effects on the product, particularly in the case of small containers.

Dr. STEWART. Mr. Chairman, the reference to plastics yesterday was to the solvents used in making plastics.

Dr. MURRAY. There are areas of research on biologics in which impediments to progress exist. To some extent, the impediments are economic. This is true of rarely used products such as botulism type E antitoxin, antivenin for coral snake bites, and trichinosis antigen. Economic impediments, as represented by the investment required for research to develop and produce a product for prospective markets, also exist for some of the arbovirus vaccines. While the development of such products for general use is usually outside the focus of the Division's principal responsibility, nevertheless, the need for their development is recognized. For example, the Division has available for emergencies a standard antitoxin preparation for botulism type E. Similar standards are being sought for coral snake antivenins.

The Division personnel are gradually moving into the extended quarters as they become available with the completion of the annex to building 29. Funds in the amount of $175,000 are being requested to equip the renovated space in building 29. In addition, $85,000 is requested for procuring specialized equipment, such as an electron microscope.

In conclusion, the request of the Division of Biologics Standards for 1968 is $8,649,000 compared with $8,480,000 available in 1967. I shall be glad to attempt to answer any questions you may have.

SUMMARY OF BUDGET REQUEST FOR BIOLOGICS STANDARDS

Mr. FLOOD. There is a small decrease here of $60,000 in the budget for this item, from $8,709,000 for 1967 to $8,649,000 for 1968. However, there is an expansion of the program because there is a decrease of $805,000 for what this appropriation will be assessed to support what we call the management fund. Is that so?

Dr. MURRAY. There is an adjustment on account of the management fund but the apparent decrease is largely due to the fact the 1967 budget had nonrecurring items in it.

UNOBLIGATED BALANCE

Mr. FLOOD. Well, what did you have to cut back in order to come up with this "Unobligated balance, reserve" of $229,000?

Mr. CARDWELL. The $229,000, Mr. Chairman, relates to the 1967 cutback programs that we have discussed previously. It has to do with restrictions on procurement of equipment, supplies, travel, and reproduction.

Mr. FLOOD. This much comes out of his hide?
Mr. CARDWELL. Yes.

RESEARCH ON TUMOR PRODUCING AGENTS

Mr. FLOOD. You are asking for an increase of $300,000 for research on tumor producing agents?

Dr. MURRAY. Yes.

Mr. FLOOD. Can you tell me how much you spent on this in 1966? Mr. BRUST. This year it is $1,837,000.

Mr. FLOOD I want to know what you spent in 1966.

Mr. BRUST. In 1966 we spent $555,000, and in 1967 we are expecting to obligate $1,837,000.

Mr. FLOOD. What happened to make it necessary to expand this program?

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Dr. MURRAY. This started in 1966 on a limited scale. It is difficult to get contractors in this field; to be sure there is no duplication and that there are contractors who will do the work needed. Thus in 1966 there was a lapse of funds for this reason and that is why the amount spent in 1966 appears small whereas in 1967 we are getting up to the amount of money we originally projected would be needed to mount this program, and the additional $300,000 will, in our opinion, be what is needed to round out the program.

Mr. FLOOD. These are all contracts?

Dr. MURRAY. Yes.

Mr. FLOOD. You said you could not find contractors.

Dr. MURRAY. During the time that the money was available to us, which was a matter of 8 or 9 months.

Dr. SHANNON. We only had this time to develop it. Our apportionment for that year came through the beginning of October.

Mr. FLOOD. What about your old line activities? What problems have you had in connection with your old line activities since last year? Have you had any trouble?

Dr. MURRAY. I do not think so.

Mr. FLOOD. You remember Harry Truman used to say "Never forget your old friends." What about your old activities?

Dr. MURRAY. We are continuing very actively in the area of old line products such as typhoid vaccine.

Mr. FLOOD. Is there any tuberculosis vaccine?

Dr. MURRAY. We are not doing any developmental work on tuberculosis vaccine. BCG is available as a licensed product. We also have an active interest in cholera vaccine and at the moment there is interest in trying to improve such old line items as smallpox vaccine, not only by ourselves but by others.

Mr. FLOOD. Cholera? When was the last case we identified stateside? Dr. MURRAY. It is not an important vaccine in the United States but it is very important for travelers who go abroad.

Dr. SHANNON. That is particularly true of the armed services.
Mr. FLOOD. It flares up pretty regularly, too.

Dr. MURRAY. And there is an interest on our part in improving the plague vaccine which is being used in southeast Asia.

Mr. FLOOD. In direct ratio to the speed of transportation your problems increase, do they not?

Dr. MURRAY. I would think everybody's problems increase in relation to transportation.

Mr. FLOOD. But you still have the same incubation period no matter how fast the jet travels.

Dr. MURRAY. That is right. The use of these agents, particularly the smallpox vaccine, in trying to prevent smallpox from coming in the country, is really the concern of

Mr. FLOOD. How often should you vaccinate for smallpox?

Dr. MURRAY. Some people say children should never be vaccinated in this country.

Mr. FLOOD. Some people say what?

Dr. MURRAY. That it should not be used because smallpox has not appeared in this country since 1946 and there are side effects in some persons following vaccination.

Mr. FLOOD. I am speaking of travelers.

Dr. MURRAY. Travelers should be vaccinated. That is a requirement. Mr. FLOOD. Every year?

Dr. MURRAY. Quarantine requirements are every 3 years. Recently the Public Health Service had inhouse requirements for every year for some of its personnel.

Mr. FLOOD. Do not the boys in the Air Force have it every year? Dr. MURRAY. I do not know what the requirements are but they get more than their share of inoculations.

Mr. FLOOD. I have heard that mentioned.

Thank you very much.

Dr. MURRAY. Thank you very much.

Direct operations.-The program increase of $560,000 will provide $300,000 for research contracts to further the Division's efforts in solving problems concerned with oncogenic (tumor-producing) factors as they relate to the safety of vaccines; $175,000 for equipping renovated space and $85,000 for specialized research equipment.